Extracts
from the aacultwatch forum (old)
“Hi
…...,
I
think you have it about right. It’s about money, power and
prestige; a perverting of AA’s simple program in order to make lots
of money, power and prestige. The leading lights of the Primary
Purpose Group of AA Dallas, Chris Raymer, Myers Raymer and Cliff
Bishop have their fingers in the big business pies of book binding
and 12 step recovery treatment centers. (Cliff B. was sponsored by
Joe McQ who got rich by amalgamating his Recovery Dynamics treatment
program with AA with his big book sponsorship guide.) Then there’s
Dick B. (a.k.a Richard G Burns J.D., Richard Gordon Burns J.D.) with
his Christians In Recovery Coalition and training camp in Hawaii.
There’s self appointed historian Mitchell K, who seems be a friend
of Dick B and who also appears to have resentment against AA World
Services for protecting AA copyrights. (GSO in Germany took legal
action a while ago after someone distributed illicit copies of the
big book. (Probably a mate of Mitchell and Myers the Dallas book
binder) The courts ordered the books to be destroyed (rightly so, but
Mitchell is a bit upset by it all, see a website called gsowatch).
Then there’s the publishing arm of Hazelden treatment centers.
There’s Wally P who’s on God’s mission to spread the word about
his Back to Basics Beginners Classes. Wayne B's Step'nahead Last Mile
Foundation. And now what appears to be an alarming number of smaller
copy cat outfits that are set to cash in on AA; now they know the lid
is off our traditions. Underlying in the literature they produce is a
butchered AA history that makes no distinction between the Oxford
Groups and Early AA groups. Some of the treatment centres are
advertising a 12 step Oxford Group version of their program. So,
implicit within their message is an aggressive Oxford Group
evangelical Christianity. Since the underlying message of these
organisations appears to be the same, they combine to form what
amounts to a coalition of a rabidly aggressive 12 step
Christian/Oxford Group recovery cult. Because this is driven by
outside business to make profit, (Unlike AA) this explains the
pressure put on newcomers (unlike AA) to proliferate their "original"
O.G. brand of “the message” and why these newcomers rabidly
search out others to join their groups. Obviously, the more members
the cult brings in, the more there is in book sales and resultant
profit for the businesses people behind it all.
What
is disturbing is the amount of power that they have gained in AA. AA
has been judged to be a religion by courts in a number of USA states.
This article by the rabid evangelist Dick B shows both his intent and
his gloating of his success in achieving his aim. I think it is a
massive public relations disaster for AA.
There
is a web exclusive article on AA Grapevine in the Twelve Traditions
topic called “Is AA a Religion?” which mentions the court
rulings.
http://www.aagrapevine.org/
(You have to subscribe to AA Grapevine to access the article)
Dick
B’s ego appears to have finally inflated to the magnitude of God
(as you understand it), for he now has a blog called “Dick B: THE
“REAL” POWER BEHIND ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS” (Sadly at the moment,
until the fellowship restores but one authority in AA, I think he
might be right.)
http://mauihistorian.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/richard-gordon-burns-jd-cdaac.html
This
is a link to his mercenary training camp “Freedom Ranch” in
Hawaii, where
he is Executive Director under his title of Richard Gordon Burns
J.D., http://freedomranchmaui.org/
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
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